I don't think he's getting premium first-line value in relation to his production, but at the same time Miller's "value" is directly correlated to the Canucks ask. They have been trying to trade him for effectively a younger 1/2C (or probably a top-four D) plus spare parts. As has become exceptionally obvious, this is not a good strategy and these 1-for-1 hockey trades are going the way of the Dodo bird in a cap system wherein mid-20s, controlled players are basically the premium asset on the market. Contenders interested in Miller will simply not make this deal, and even teams in the upper trajectory of a rebuild will not want to part with such players who are likely part of their core.
Your prime audience is mature teams looking to add the piece that puts them over the top over the next 2-3 years. These teams also, obviously, do not want to give up younger parts of their core because that defeats the purpose of the trade for them, but will be more incentivized to make more future-rich offers in a bid to "win now".
If you really want to realize Miller's value you need to do it under conditions that make sense, otherwise you're shooting yourself in the foot.
Forget this year, forget this core.
The Canucks might have to be the best team in the league to make the playoffs now if only 98 pts are needed.
There is no possibility of winning a trade that helps that much for this year and trading for another aged veteran is a bad move unless they are bringing in 2 or 3 younger top six guys under 24yrs old and just want a settling influence sort of what Giroux brought to Ottawa.
Many will only look at the players now and not the future or the other big return, maybe bigger than players, cap space. With cap space they open a huge area of possibilities.
Please don't let the "owned" media/marketing shows sell fans on how much worse a rebuild might, could, is possibly would be. This core group has lost 7 out of 8 times. They are not young, only one player of consequence under 26 yrs old, Hughes.
I hope they try to build a team with unconfirmed Hughes intentions in two years. I do think that if they target two years from now as the "window" with a bunch of younger players all close in age they will have a much better chance to re-sign Hughes if the team is on the upward swing and not treading water like it has been for years.
If the team still sucks that badly next year then they will have enough younger experienced NHL players that trading Hughes for the #1 pick overall possibly McKenna to then step in and they grow together for 8 years while under cap CBA) control.
I know so many posters think trading him is ludicrous but the team has won without him or a player like him, he does help with wins but also is covering up big holes on defence.
Rutherford could start to build for that event, the rest of this year and all of next year, who knows maybe hey do a Tampa and go to the bottom and get the #1 without trading Hughes but even if that is the case trading him then might still be the best time to maximize the return. If he gets a lot of Norris and Hart votes that only increases trade returns.
Boeser, Miller and Pettersson are not as young as the local media shows market.
GM's will be much more inclined to trade futures so returns might be better.
Boeser has played himself to a mid pick and AAA prospect, I still think Minnesota, Jiricek and an exchange of picks, Minny 2nd for a Nux 4th.
Pettersson will get a lot more.
Miller less than EP but a lot more than BB
Enough that the core is altered and possibly the losing culture erased